A total of 400 RNLI lottery tickets sold by one person is a record set by Stuart Maggs of Hythe branch. Well done Mr Maggs—but are there any challengers? How about individual flag day collectors? Roger Cope, a member of Birmingham branch committee on leave from Canadian Pacific, collected £149.56 in about 7'/2 hours in Birmingham's main shopping street on April 22. A week earlier, in Wolverhampton, Bob Proudlock, the branch honorary secretary, collected over £92 on the street, with Malcolm Timmins, the chairman, running up at over £78.

Lying comfortably in a bend of the River Tavy, about a mile from its confluence with the Tamar, is the ancient river port of Bere Ferrers. Its maritime traditions are old and strong. Recently 11 industrious ladies of the village organised a sponsored knit-in for the RNLI, raising £52.70 in two hours. A bring and buy stall, tea with homemade cakes and a raffle brought the result of the afternoon's activities to £77 for Tavistock branch. The multicoloured knitted strips are being made into a blanket for another charity.

A sponsored swim undertaken in January by pupils of Barnard Castle School, Co. Durham, raised a staggering £1,463, of which £400 was raised by juniors in the preparatory school. The young daughter of the swimming instructor, Katherine White, achieved 24'/2 lengths and one boy, Nicholas Oliver, raised £42.

Mrs Mabel Thomas, one-time honorary secretary and still a stalwart member of St David's ladies' guild, raised £30 this year by selling paper leeks for St David's day in a local shop.

Despite weather that would have kept any sane person indoors by his own fireside, the 'Any Questions' evening held by Pangbourne branch at Pangbourne Nautical College on February 3 was very nearly a sell-out. The panel consisted of Sir Havelock Hudson, chairman of Lloyds, Tony Durant, MP for Reading North, Sheridan Morley, author, broadcaster and theatre critic, and Baroness Phillips, chairman of the Association for the Prevention of Theft in Shops; the chair was taken by Alastair Scott Johnston (doing penance for 18 years on the BBC's 'The Navy Lark'). College six-formers asked questions that led to an interesting and enjoyable evening, at the end of which the profit for the RNLI was £300.

1977 was a bumper year for Rustington and East Preston branch. A record amount of £1,650 was raised from their flag day, coffee morning and a sponsored walk.

Lymington branch and ladies guild raised £714.84 at Beaulieu Boat Jumble, held for the first time on Sunday April 16.

Marine jumble collected by branch members brought in £475.19; £30.30 came from the sale of lOp tickets for the Southern District's competition for a Saab motor car, and the guild sold £94 worth of souvenirs. A final sum of £ 115.35 was raised by an auction held by the organisers of Beaulieu Boat Jumble at the end of the day; a loudspeaker request to stallholders to donate anything they did not want to take away to be auctioned off for the RNLI met with a generous response and Don Smith, of Montagu Ventures who organised the Jumble, proved a fast and lively auctioneer.

The owner of the Regency hairdressing salon in Otley. West Yorkshire, has thought of a new way of increasing the takings in her lifeboat collecting box: she has gathered a large collection of paperbacks and magazines which can be borrowed and read—providing 5p is placed in the box.

Bridgwater branch raised £270 for the RNLI with its autumn ball at Chitton Trinity School. The tombola was the most successful the branch has ever run. and during the evening two gallon bottles of whisky were raffled.

Milton Southsea branch, formed in February 1977. had a splendid first year, raising £3.223. This amount included £677 raised during their lifeboat week, which culminated at the time of the Jubilee Fleet Review at Spithead: also a generous donation of £335 from McMurdo Investments: and a film show and presentation in Portsmouth's Guildhall on the RNSA/Whithread Round the World Race given by Southern Television personality Barry Westwood and Rohin Knox-Johnston. a member of the Committee of Management, and others, which raised £1,136.

A branch manager of Wavy Line Grocers organised a sponsored raft race which raised the staggering amount of £6,250. The cheque was received on behalf of Southend-on-Sea branch by Sir Alec Rose, several of whose books 'My Lively Lady' were also raffled; the resulting £100, given to Sir Alec for his local branch, has been apportioned between Havant branch and Walmer. where The Hampshire Rose is stationed.

Sore feet have figured prominently during the last few months as we hear of various sponsored walks. Walkers from Kastleigh and Chandler's Ford raised £315.95. Arthur Roberts of Gravesend needed all his determination when a misdirection sent him some miles further than the planned 38 miles: nevertheless he finished the walk and raised £55. In October Petersfield branch organised a 15-mile walk which included an 888 ft climb up Butser Hill, raising £528.

The Queens Head Inn, Cullercoats, is a strong supporter of the local ILB station. Earlier this year the licensee, Danny Goering, and bar manager, John Wedderburn, presented two cheques to Helmsman Ned Clark and other crew members; £70 for the crew fund and £60 for the RNLI. The money had been raised in a number of ways including raffles and domino cards, pool competitions and lOp bets on a racing car machine.

West Wight ladies' guild raised over £3,500 last year from the sale of souvenirs and Saab draw tickets, and £511 from a coffee morning and a boutique held in July at King's Manor, Freshwater, the home of Mr and Mrs A. J. Sheldon. A further £306 was raised at a Christmas Fair held in Yarmouth Town Hall in December.

A haircut raised £19.50 on Christmas Eve when Engineer Cadet Ciaron Callan, on board British Ranger, had his hair cut in public on the condition that crew members watching donated 50p each to RNLI funds. The 'Sweeney Todd' who did the cutting was Third Engineer Gerry Gwynn.

£65.79 was the total raised during the spring term by the children of All Saints Church of England (Controlled) Primary School in Wellingborough. A variety of events were organised including a sponsored swim, a tuck shop, a lunch-time disco and a Frost Fair which, due to the temporary closure of the school, had, alas, to be held in balmy, spring-like weather..